Package fastener and seal.



Patented Apr. 29, m2.

W. S. ARMSTRONG.

PACKAGE FASTENER AND SEAL.

Application filed Aug. 12, 1901.)

(No Model.)

5 PETERS w, movaumuu'wmmcmn. 04 I;

-. UNITED STATES ATENT OFFI E.

\VALTER S. ARMSTRONG, OF RUTHVEN, IOW'A.

PACKAGE FASTENER AND SEAL.

SEECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,619, dated April29, 1902.

Application filed August 12, 1901- Serial No. 71,810. (No model.)

fasten'ers of that class employed in sealing,

receptacles to be shipped from point to point, and more particularly toa combined package fastener and seal, the device to operate in suchmanner that when a package em ploying the same is once fastened andsealed any attempt, short of destructive violence, to gain access to theinterior of the package will be eifectually prevented.

A further object is to present a packagefastener in which the haspemployed for engaging the staple that holdsthe device locked will uponthe turning of the staple to position to be sealed be drawn down,thereby effecting a perfect sealing of the package.

- numerals of reference indicate corresponding With these and otherobjects in View, as

will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, thesame consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of apackage fastener and seal, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like parts, there is illustrated a form of embodiment of theinvention capable of carrying the same into efiect, it being understoodthat the elements herein exhibited may be varied or changed as toshape,proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing fromthe scope of the invention, and in these drawings Figure 1 is a view inperspective of the upper portion of a package, exhibiting the fastenerand seal applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a View in transverse section takenon the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation exhibitingthe staple-carrying plate detached from the package with the staple inunlocked position and the hasp over the staple, the coactingcam-surfaces arranged, re spectively, on the staple and on the hasp,whereby the hasp is drawn down when the staple is turned, being clearlyshown. Fig. 4 is a perspective detached detail view of the staple.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the package, and 2 the lid orcover therefor. The package and lid are herein shown as circular; but itis to be understood that the improvements constituting this inventionare equally well adaptable to a package of any shape, round, square, orother, and for this reason it is distinctly to be understood that theinvention is not to be confined to use in connection with a package ofany particular shape. The lid is provided with a marginal depression 3to present a shoulder 4, that will bear against the inner walls'of thepackage to present a seal to prevent escape of the contents of thepackage where the same is of semiliquid characteras, for instance softlard or soft butter.

Secured upon one side of the package by rivets 5 is an ear 6, having anofiset 7, provided with an opening 8 to be engaged by the hooked end 9of a plate 10, secured by rivets 11 to a cleat 12, extendingtransversely of the lid, engagement between the hook 9 and the opening 8of the ear presenting a hinge connection of a character to permitseparation of the lid from the package when desired. The cleat has alsosecured to it by rivets 13 a hasp 14, the hinged member 15 of whichextends down over the face of the package, as clearly shown in Fig. 1,and is provided with the usual slot 16 to engage with a staple 17, thelatter being carriedby a plate 18, secured by rivets 19 to the front ofthe package in alinement with the ear 6. The plate 18 is in thisinstance thicker at the bottom than at the top. This is to compensatefor the taper of the sides of the package, so that when the plate ispositioned thereon its outer face will lie at right angles to the cover,thereby permittingthe hasp to lie close against the plate, as clearlyshown in Fig; 2.

i The staple 17 is provided with a pintle 20, extending approximately atright angles to its length, the pintle to be passed through an opening21 in the plate and to have its inner end upset, as at 22, by whicharrangement the staple will be free to rotate, but will be heldpositively against disengagement from the plate. The head 23 of thestaple is elon gated and is of a width to pass through the slot 16 ofthe hasp and is provided with a transverse orifice 24 to be engaged bythe sealcarrying wire, presently to be described. Adjacent to the pintle20 there is arranged a laterally-extending cam projection 25, which whenthe hasp is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1 engages with acam-recess 26, form ed in one side of the'terminal of the slot 16, andthereby operates to exert downward pressure on the hasp, and thuseffects secure seating of the lid upon the package. To one side andslightly below the pivotal point of the staple the plate 18 has securedto it, as by being riveted thereto, a keeper 27, having avertically-disposed orifice 28, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3,)this orifice to register with the orifice 24 in the staple when the same'is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, and

through the two orifices is passed the wire 29 of an ordinarylead seal30, upon which may be impressed by any suitable means the name of thesender of the package and the point from which it is sent or otherdescriptive matter.

It is to be understood that the rivets employed for holding thedifferent parts of the device in position, either upon the package orupon the cover, are to project entirely through the latter parts and areto be clenched on the inside, .so'that aside from destructive violenceit will be impossible to gain access to the package without destroyingthe parts so secured, while the seal 30 will be effective for indicatingany attempt that might be made to open the package. For convenience inhandling, the package may be provided with a pivoted bail 31, carryingan ordinary handle 32.

While the plate 10 and hasp member 14 are herein exhibited as twoseparate'elements, it is to be understood that if preferred the plate 10may constitute a continuation of the hasp member 14 and still be withinthe scope of the invention. I

When the package is to be closed and sealed, the hook 9 is passedthrough the opening 8 and the cover closed, after which the slottedmember 15 of the hasp is passed over the staple, the latter being thenin the position shown in Fig. 3. The staple is then turned to theposition shown in Fig. 1, and on this movement the cam projection 25rides against the wall of the cam-recess 26 and securely clamps the liddown upon the rim of the package. The wire 29 of the seal 30 is nowpassed through the respective orifices in the keeper 27 and in thestaple. The seal is then placed on the wire, and the latter is thenclamped upon the wire in the usual manner.

When the parts are thus fastened in this position, they will bethoroughly effective for keeping the package closed against eitheraccidental or forceful opening, and, as before stated, by reason of theseal 30 should any unlawful attempt be made to open the package this canreadily be detected.

While the parts of the present device are fewin number and while thedevice as awholo is of great simplicity of construction, it will befound thoroughly efficient for the purpose designed and may be cheaplyattached to an ordinary package without in any manner necessitating anychange in its structural arrangenien t.

The cleat 12 is not an essential part of the device and may be omitted,if desired, with out interfering with the proper operation of thedevice.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In adevice of the class specified, the combination With a hasp, of astaple provided with a locking member to'project through the hasp andhaving means disposed within the hasp-opening for exerting downwarddraft upon the hasp.

2. In a device of the character specified, a hasp having astaple-opening provided at its lower extremity with alaterally-projecting cam-recess, in combination with a pivoted staplehaving a locking member to pass through the opening and bear against thehasp and a cam to engage the recess.

3. In a device of the character specified, a hasp having itsstaple-opening provided with a cam-recess, in combination with a pivotedstaple havinga cam to engage the recess, and means for locking thestaple against turning.

4. The combination with a receptacle carrying a pivoted cam-bearingstaple adapted for movement in a plane parallel to that portion of thereceptacle with which-it is associated, of a closure carrying a haspadapted for movement at right angles to the staple, said hasp beingprovided with a slot to straddle the staple and having a cam-recesstherein to engage the cam portion thereof.

5. The combination with a receptacle, of a plate carrying an orificedkeeper and a pivoted cam-bearing staple provided with an orifice toaline with that of the keeper,and a cover carryinga hasp provided with aslot tostraddle the staple and havinga cam-recess to engage the camportion thereof, and fastening means to engage the orificein the keeperand the staple.

6. The combination with a receptacle of a plate secured to thereceptacle and carrying a pivoted cam-bearing staple provided with anorifice, and an orificed keeper, a hasp carried by the receptacle-coverand having a slot to straddle the staple and a cam-recess to engage thecam portion thereof, and a seal-carrying wire to engage the orificeinthe keeper and in the staple.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VALTER S. ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses:

D. J. EDMoNDs, F. H. GIDDINGS.

TIO

